News

A research group — coordinated by Giuseppe Legname from The Laboratory of Prion Disease, SISSA, Trieste, Italy — has found a way to build artificial prions, assembling the proteins in a serial manner. The study was performed in collaboration with the Carlo Besta Neurological Institute in Milan and the results were published in the journal…

Researchers at the Salk Institute have discovered that a set of messenger RNAs, controlled by the microRNA miR-218, define a specific network of neuronal genes that are repressed to prevent neuromuscular damage and neurodegeneration. Loss of miR-218 was seen to lead to the onset of neurodegenerative diseases such as amyotrophic lateral…

The ALS Association has announced the Phi Delta Theta Fraternity is contributing to support the Milton Safenowitz Postdoctoral Fellow Program by awarding $100,000 over two years to Antonia Dominguez, Ph.D., a researcher focused on finding treatments for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The Milton Safenowitz Postdoctoral Fellowships were founded by the Safenowitz family…

Researchers at University Of North Carolina School Of Medicine are reporting the first evidence-based description of the neuronal protein clumps thought to be toxic to motor neurons and instigators of the neuronal degeneration seen in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The laboratory discovery of the form of these unstable clumps, known as SOD1 proteins, and…

AB Science recently announced it has completed its targeted enrollment of 381 patients for an ongoing Phase 3 study evaluating masitinib in the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Masitinib is an orally administered tyrosine kinase inhibitor designed to target important immune system cells known as mast cells and macrophages. Its mechanism of action…

ISIS Pharmaceuticals, in collaboration with Biogen, has started a Phase 1/2 clinical study of ISIS-SOD1Rx (BIIB067), one of the drug candidates to come out of the strategic partnership between the two companies, in adult patients diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). ISIS-SOD1Rx’s mode of action relies on ISIS antisense technology that targets at…

ALS News Today has published daily coverage of ALS-related advocacy events, clinical trials, and research throughout the year. As 2015 finally winds down, ALS News Today has compiled the top 10 ALS news stories of 2015, ranked according to the number of views each news story received. #10 — “Mechanism Underlying…

MediciNova, Inc. announced its experimental therapy MN-166 (ibudilast) received Fast Track designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The announcement arrived just after MediciNova presented positive interim data from ibudilast‘s ongoing clinical trial to evaluate the drug’s efficacy and…

MediciNova has presented positive interim data from an ongoing clinical trial to evaluate the efficacy and safety of MN-166 (ibudilast) in the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The study, entitled “Adaptive Design Single Center Phosphodiesterase Type 4 (PDE4) Inhibitor – Ibudilast (MN-166) Phase 1b/2a Clinical Trial [NCT02238626] for Amyotrophic Lateral…

The Augmentative Communication Program (ACP) at Boston Children’s Hospital has received a $1.5 million donation to set up a program focused on improving the quality of life of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) adult patients. ALS is a progressive neurodegenerative disease with no treatment to date. The new program will be dedicated to…